Saturday, 31 January 2009
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Kensington Palace. Stuart London.
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century. Today it is the official residence of The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester; the Duke and Duchess of Kent; and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Kensington Palace is also used on an unofficial basis by Prince Henry, Until 1997, it was the official residence of Diana, Princess of Wales and of Princess Margaret until 2002.
History
The original early 17th-century building was constructed in the village of Kensington as Nottingham House for the Earl of Nottingham. It was acquired from his heir, who was Secretary of State to William III, in 1689, because the King wanted a residence near London but away from the smoky air of the capital, because he was asthmatic. At that time Kensington was a suburban village location outside London, but more accessible than Hampton Court, a water journey on the Thames. A private road was laid out from the Palace to Hyde Park Corner, broad enough for several carriages to travel abreast, part of which survives today as Rotten Row. The Palace was improved and extended by Sir Christopher Wren with pavilions attached to each corner of the central block, for it now needed paired Royal Apartments approached by the Great Stairs, a council chamber, and the Chapel Royal. Then, when Wren re-oriented the house to face west, he built north and south wings to flank the approach, made into a proper cour d'honneur that was entered through an archway surmounted by a clock tower. Nevertheless, as a private domestic retreat, it was referred to as Kensington House, rather than 'Palace'. The walled kitchen gardens at Kensington House supplied fruits and vegetables for the Court of St. James's.
For seventy years, Kensington Palace was the favored residence of British monarchs, although the official seat of the Court was and remains at St. James's which has not been the actual royal residence in London since the 17th century. Queen Mary died of smallpox in Kensington Palace in 1694. In 1702 William suffered a fall from a horse at Hampton Court and was brought to Kensington Palace, where he shortly died. After William III's death, the palace became the residence of Queen Anne. Sir John Vanbrugh designed the Orangery for her in 1704, and a magnificent baroque parterre 30 acre (121,000 m²) garden was laid out by Henry Wise, whose nursery was nearby at Brompton (illustration, left).
The Cupola Room, designed by William Kent, 1722: the monumental musical clock, which once played tunes by Handel, Corelli and Geminiani, remains in the room.
George I spent lavishly on new royal apartments from 1718. William Kent painted a staircase and some ceilings. In 1722 he designed the Cupola Room, the principal state room, with feigned coffering in its high coved ceiling; in 1819 the Cupola Room was the site of the christening of Princess Alexandrina Victoria, who had been born at Kensington, in the apartments of the Duke and Duchess of Kent (the actual room being what is now the North Drawing Room).
The last reigning monarch to use Kensington Palace was George II. For his consort, Charles Bridgeman swept away the outmoded parterres and redesigned Kensington Gardens in a form that is still recognizable today: his remaining features are The Serpentine, the basin called the Round Pond, and the Broad Walk. After George II's death in the palace in 1760, Kensington Palace was only used for more minor Royalty, including the young daughter of the Duke of Kent who was living in the Palace with her widowed mother when she was told of her accession to the throne as Queen Victoria. Queen Mary (grandmother of the present Queen) was born at Kensington Palace in 1867.
In 1981 apartments 8 and 9 were combined to create the London residence of the newly married Prince and Princess of Wales, Charles and Diana, and it remained the official residence of Diana, Princess of Wales after her divorce until her death. Her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, went to local nursery and pre-preparatory schools in Notting Hill, which is a short drive away.
The nearest tubes are in Queensway, Bayswater, High Street Kensington, or (slightly further) Gloucester Road.
this is the oficial webpage: http://www.hrp.org.uk/KensingtonPalace/
Laura C. 1st bat A
Laura C. 1st bat A
Monday, 26 January 2009
Sunday, 25 January 2009
The London Transport Museum
There are two videos:
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=pc5nEVry4tw&feature=related
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=gC_SPNaQCpA
That is the London Transport Museum web:
http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/
The London Transport Museum, or LT Museum based in Covent Garden, London, seeks to conserve and explain the transport heritage of Britain's capital city. The majority of the museum's exhibits originated in the collection of London Transport, but, since the creation of Transport for London (TfL) in 2000, the remit of the museum has expanded to cover all aspects of transportation in the city.
The museum operates from two sites within London. The main site in Covent Garden uses the name of its parent institution, sometimes suffixed by Covent Garden, and is open to the public every day, having recently reopened following a two year refurbishment. The other site, located in Acton, is known as the London Transport Museum Depot and is principally a storage site that is open on regular visitor days throughout the year.
The museum was briefly re-named London's Transport Museum to reflect its coverage of topics beyond London Transport, but it reverted to its previous name in 2007 to coincide with the reopening of the Covent Garden site.
The museum's main facility is located in a Victorian iron and glass building that originally formed part of the Covent Garden vegetable, fruit and flower market. It was designed as a dedicated flower market by William Rogers in 1871 and is located between Russell Street, Tavistock Street, Wellington Street and the east side of the former market square. The market moved out in 1971, and the building was first occupied by the London Transport Museum in 1980. Previously the colection had been located at Syon Park since 1973 and before that had formed part of the British Transport Museum at Clapham.
The entrance to the museum is from the Covent Garden Piazza, amongst the Piazza's many tourist attractions. The museum is within walking distance from both Covent Garden tube station and Charing Cross railway station.
The Museum Depot is located in Acton, West London, and was opened in October 1999. The depot holds the majority of the Museum's collections which are not on display in the main museum in Covent Garden, is the base for the museum's curators and conservators, and is used for the display of items too large to be accommodated in the main facility.
The depot provides 6,000 square metres of storage space in secure, environmentally controlled conditions and houses over 370,000 items of all types, including many original works of art used for the Museum's collections of posters, signs, models, photographs, engineering drawings and uniforms. The building has both road access and a rail connection to the London Underground network, which allows the storage and display of significant numbers of buses, trams, trolleybuses, rail rolling stock and other vehicles.
The first parts of the collection were brought together at the beginning of the 20th century by the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) when it began to preserve buses being retired from service. After the LGOC was taken over by the London Electric Railway (LER), the collection was expanded to include rail vehicles. It continued to expand after the LER became part of the London Passenger Transport Board in the 1930s and as the organisation passed through various successor bodies up to TfL, London's current transport authority.
The collection has had a number of homes. It was housed as part of the Museum of British Transport at a disused tram depot in Clapham High Street in the 1960s and early 1970s, which is now the site of a Sainsbury's supermarket, and then at Syon House in Brentford before being moved to Covent Garden in 1980. Most of the other exhibits moved to York on formation of the National Railway Museum in 1975.
The Covent Garden building has on display many examples of buses, trams, trolleybuses and rail vehicles from 19th and 20th centuries as well as artefacts and exhibits related to the operation and marketing of passenger services and the impact that the developing transport network has had on the city and its population.
Larger exhibits held at Acton depot include a complete 1938 stock tube train as well as early locomotives from the first sub-surface and first deep-level lines.
Núria M. 1st Batx. B
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=
http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=
That is the London Transport Museum web:
http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/
The London Transport Museum, or LT Museum based in Covent Garden, London, seeks to conserve and explain the transport heritage of Britain's capital city. The majority of the museum's exhibits originated in the collection of London Transport, but, since the creation of Transport for London (TfL) in 2000, the remit of the museum has expanded to cover all aspects of transportation in the city.
The museum operates from two sites within London. The main site in Covent Garden uses the name of its parent institution, sometimes suffixed by Covent Garden, and is open to the public every day, having recently reopened following a two year refurbishment. The other site, located in Acton, is known as the London Transport Museum Depot and is principally a storage site that is open on regular visitor days throughout the year.
The museum was briefly re-named London's Transport Museum to reflect its coverage of topics beyond London Transport, but it reverted to its previous name in 2007 to coincide with the reopening of the Covent Garden site.
The museum's main facility is located in a Victorian iron and glass building that originally formed part of the Covent Garden vegetable, fruit and flower market. It was designed as a dedicated flower market by William Rogers in 1871 and is located between Russell Street, Tavistock Street, Wellington Street and the east side of the former market square. The market moved out in 1971, and the building was first occupied by the London Transport Museum in 1980. Previously the colection had been located at Syon Park since 1973 and before that had formed part of the British Transport Museum at Clapham.
The entrance to the museum is from the Covent Garden Piazza, amongst the Piazza's many tourist attractions. The museum is within walking distance from both Covent Garden tube station and Charing Cross railway station.
The Museum Depot is located in Acton, West London, and was opened in October 1999. The depot holds the majority of the Museum's collections which are not on display in the main museum in Covent Garden, is the base for the museum's curators and conservators, and is used for the display of items too large to be accommodated in the main facility.
The depot provides 6,000 square metres of storage space in secure, environmentally controlled conditions and houses over 370,000 items of all types, including many original works of art used for the Museum's collections of posters, signs, models, photographs, engineering drawings and uniforms. The building has both road access and a rail connection to the London Underground network, which allows the storage and display of significant numbers of buses, trams, trolleybuses, rail rolling stock and other vehicles.
The first parts of the collection were brought together at the beginning of the 20th century by the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) when it began to preserve buses being retired from service. After the LGOC was taken over by the London Electric Railway (LER), the collection was expanded to include rail vehicles. It continued to expand after the LER became part of the London Passenger Transport Board in the 1930s and as the organisation passed through various successor bodies up to TfL, London's current transport authority.
The collection has had a number of homes. It was housed as part of the Museum of British Transport at a disused tram depot in Clapham High Street in the 1960s and early 1970s, which is now the site of a Sainsbury's supermarket, and then at Syon House in Brentford before being moved to Covent Garden in 1980. Most of the other exhibits moved to York on formation of the National Railway Museum in 1975.
The Covent Garden building has on display many examples of buses, trams, trolleybuses and rail vehicles from 19th and 20th centuries as well as artefacts and exhibits related to the operation and marketing of passenger services and the impact that the developing transport network has had on the city and its population.
Larger exhibits held at Acton depot include a complete 1938 stock tube train as well as early locomotives from the first sub-surface and first deep-level lines.
Núria M. 1st Batx. B
London in the 80's
London in the 80's.
Xavi L. 1st batx B
- Who can spot Big Ben and Victoria Station?
- Why East End boys and West End girls?
Xavi L. 1st batx B
Medieval London: The Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Tate Britain and the Clink Prison Museum
MEDIEVAL LONDON
The Tower of London.
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically as The Tower), is a historic monument in central London, England, on the north bank of the River Thames. It is located within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and is separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill.
Westminster AbbeyThe Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English, later British and later still (and currently) Monarchs of the Commonwealth Realms. It briefly held the status of a cathedral from 1546–1556, and is currently a Royal Peculiar.
Tate Britain
Tate Britain is an art gallery situated on Millbank in London, and part of the Tate gallery network in Britain, with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It was the first gallery to be established within the network, opening in 1897. It houses a substantial collection of the work of J.M.W. Turner.
Clink Prison Museum
The Clink was the popular name for the prison attached to Winchester House, the palace of the Bishops of Winchester from the 12th century until 1626. Protestant and Catholic prisoners of conscience were held here during the 16th century.
Tània P and Paula M. 1st Batx B
Another song about London
This song is from the musical-film by Tim Burton Sweeny Todd
Yolanda V. 1st batx B
Yolanda V. 1st batx B
The British Museum
Here you have a video where you can see a few parts of the British Museum. There is so much to see there, especially if you're interested in history (e.g. it has the biggest collection of Egyptian art and mummies in the world)
British Museum
The British Museum is an important site in London. Ite is the biggest museum in the United Kingdom and the most popular antiques museum in the world!
The British Museum has a National Library too.
It first opened to the public on January, 15th 1759.
By the last years of the nineteenth century, the British Museum's collections had increased so much that the Museum building was no longer big enough for them and it had to be altered.
By the 1970s the Museum was again expanding. More services for the public were introduced; visitor numbers soared, with the temporary exhibition "Treasures of Tutankhamun in 1972, attracting 1,694,117 visitors, the most successful in British history.
At present, the British Museum has 10 departments of many things.
There are a lot of departments, galleries and exhibitions:
Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan,Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities
Department of the Middle East, Department of Prints and Drawings
Department of Asia, Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas
Department of Coins and Medals, Department of Prehistory and Europe
Department of Conservation, Documentation and Science, Libraries and Archives, etc
The oficial web of the museum is
http://www.britishmuseum.org
Yolanda V. 1st batx B
British Museum
The British Museum is an important site in London. Ite is the biggest museum in the United Kingdom and the most popular antiques museum in the world!
The British Museum has a National Library too.
It first opened to the public on January, 15th 1759.
By the last years of the nineteenth century, the British Museum's collections had increased so much that the Museum building was no longer big enough for them and it had to be altered.
By the 1970s the Museum was again expanding. More services for the public were introduced; visitor numbers soared, with the temporary exhibition "Treasures of Tutankhamun in 1972, attracting 1,694,117 visitors, the most successful in British history.
At present, the British Museum has 10 departments of many things.
There are a lot of departments, galleries and exhibitions:
Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan,Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities
Department of the Middle East, Department of Prints and Drawings
Department of Asia, Department of Africa, Oceania and the Americas
Department of Coins and Medals, Department of Prehistory and Europe
Department of Conservation, Documentation and Science, Libraries and Archives, etc
The oficial web of the museum is
http://www.britishmuseum.org
Yolanda V. 1st batx B
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Saturday, 17 January 2009
The 20th century London
London grew even bigger. Many more people went to live in the city suburbs and travelled to work by train, bus or car. The city changed too, with new buildings replacing those damaged by bombs during the war years.
The First World War began in 1914. The first air raid hit London in 1915 and during the war over 835 people were killed in air attacks.
In 1939 the Second World War broke out and some 690.000 children were moved out of London. The blitz began in 1940 and caused a lot of damage to London, with some of the worst damage being done around (and including) St. Paul's Cathedral. By the end of the war 30.000 people had been killed in London and much of the city's buildings lay in ruins. During both wars, women started working in factories for the first time.
Later in the 20th century, air travel became more important. New airports were built to link London with the rest of the world.
At the start of the new millenium, London has a population of over seven million!!!
The First World War began in 1914. The first air raid hit London in 1915 and during the war over 835 people were killed in air attacks.
In 1939 the Second World War broke out and some 690.000 children were moved out of London. The blitz began in 1940 and caused a lot of damage to London, with some of the worst damage being done around (and including) St. Paul's Cathedral. By the end of the war 30.000 people had been killed in London and much of the city's buildings lay in ruins. During both wars, women started working in factories for the first time.
Later in the 20th century, air travel became more important. New airports were built to link London with the rest of the world.
At the start of the new millenium, London has a population of over seven million!!!
Victorian London
In 1837, Victoria became Queen at the age of 18. The time while she was Queen is called the Victorian era. London was busy with trade and industry, and it grew fast. Better lighting, plumbing and transport developed too. By the time she died in 1901, London was a very different city.
Up until the 19th century, the city was a similar size as the Roman Londinium. From 1820 the green areas around were absorved by new arrivers, workers attracted by industrialism. This growth caused problems: the first cholera epidemic broke out in 1832 and in 1858 the Thames was so dirty and it stank - The Great Stench- that the Parliament had to close! The new sewer and river drain system by Joseph Bazalgette (1875) solved the problem.
Railways were built linking much of Britain to the capital. London was the centre of the world trade and had a large powerful empire.
Many of the buildings in London today were built in Victorian times. The most famous is probably the Houses of Parliament, built after a fire destroyed the original buildings.
Electric light was first used in Holborn in 1883. By the 1840's there were also horse drawn buses and from the 1870's horse drawn trams.
The World first underground railway ("The Tube") opened in 1862. At first carriages were pulled by steam trains. The system was electrified in 1890-1905.
A Christmas tradition started in this era still continues: the Pantomime.
Sites from this times:
- Train stations
- The Kensington Museum
- The Royal Albert Hall
- The Leighton House
- The Victoria and Albert Museum
- The London Transport Museum
Up until the 19th century, the city was a similar size as the Roman Londinium. From 1820 the green areas around were absorved by new arrivers, workers attracted by industrialism. This growth caused problems: the first cholera epidemic broke out in 1832 and in 1858 the Thames was so dirty and it stank - The Great Stench- that the Parliament had to close! The new sewer and river drain system by Joseph Bazalgette (1875) solved the problem.
Railways were built linking much of Britain to the capital. London was the centre of the world trade and had a large powerful empire.
Many of the buildings in London today were built in Victorian times. The most famous is probably the Houses of Parliament, built after a fire destroyed the original buildings.
Electric light was first used in Holborn in 1883. By the 1840's there were also horse drawn buses and from the 1870's horse drawn trams.
The World first underground railway ("The Tube") opened in 1862. At first carriages were pulled by steam trains. The system was electrified in 1890-1905.
A Christmas tradition started in this era still continues: the Pantomime.
Sites from this times:
- Train stations
- The Kensington Museum
- The Royal Albert Hall
- The Leighton House
- The Victoria and Albert Museum
- The London Transport Museum
Georgian London
George I became king in 1714 and began a line, the Hannovers. At this time, Britain was one of the most powerful countries in the world, with London at the heart of its trade.
London quickly grew in size and population during the Georgian era. In 1801 the population reached about one million. Merchants and bankers grew rich and many lived in the West End in elegant squares (the plan of the West End nowadays is very similar to the West End in 1828.) Other people suffered terrible poverty. Thousands lived in filthy East End slums, where disease, crime and drunkenness were common.
Many new town houses were built. These houses were tall and three windows wide. They had arched doorways , with a window above called fanlight. You can still see this kind of house today.
The streets of London were badly lit and full of beggars and thieves.
Several hospitals were founded in during the Georgian era including Westminster, Guys, St. Georges, London and Middlesex.
Sites that belong to this era:
- Berkeley Square
- The Royal Haymarket Theatre portal
- Reform and Travellers Clubs in Pall Mall.
- Fournier Street
- The Victoria and Albert Museum
- The Tate Britain
- Sir John Soane's Museum
Can you upload a picture of a typical Georgian (rich) house and its doorway?
London quickly grew in size and population during the Georgian era. In 1801 the population reached about one million. Merchants and bankers grew rich and many lived in the West End in elegant squares (the plan of the West End nowadays is very similar to the West End in 1828.) Other people suffered terrible poverty. Thousands lived in filthy East End slums, where disease, crime and drunkenness were common.
Many new town houses were built. These houses were tall and three windows wide. They had arched doorways , with a window above called fanlight. You can still see this kind of house today.
The streets of London were badly lit and full of beggars and thieves.
Several hospitals were founded in during the Georgian era including Westminster, Guys, St. Georges, London and Middlesex.
Sites that belong to this era:
- Berkeley Square
- The Royal Haymarket Theatre portal
- Reform and Travellers Clubs in Pall Mall.
- Fournier Street
- The Victoria and Albert Museum
- The Tate Britain
- Sir John Soane's Museum
Can you upload a picture of a typical Georgian (rich) house and its doorway?
Friday, 16 January 2009
Stuart London
The first Stuart king, James I, came to the throne in 1603. He was already King James VI of Scotland. He united the two countries under one king. A group of men tried to blow up both him and the Houses of Parliament. This Gunpowder plot failed.
Charles II opened Hyde Park to the public and created Richmond Park for hunting.
Civil war broke out in 1642 between supporters of the king and parliamentary forces, led by a Puritan called Oliver Cromwell. The king lost and was beheaded. Britain became a republic known as the Commonwealth. In 1660 the monarchy was returned. Oliver Cromwell forbid theatre and dance, so the monarchy was very welcome.
London suffered two disasters in later Stuart years. In 1665 the Great Plague killed about 70.000 people. The bubonic plague was brought to London by rats on board of trading ships. It spread very quickly because people lived very close quarters and hygiene standards were very low.
In 1666 the Great Fire of London destroyed two thirds of the City: 13.200 houses, 430 streets and 89 churches. The fire could be seen from 40 miles round the capital. It started as a small fire accidentally in Pudding Lane in the City of London, and raged for five days as an enormous fire.
To prevent such a disaster happening again, King Charles II commanded that all new houses in London should be of stone and brick, not wood.
Christopher Wren constructed St. Paul's Cathedral as well as many churches. Buckingham was built for the Duke of Buckingham.
Monuments, sites and remains from the time:
- Wren's achitecture:
*Saint Paul's Cathedral
*The Monument (the Great Fire Memmorial)
*Wren's churches: Christ Church's tower, St. Andrew (Holborn), St. Bride's, St.Mary-at-Hill, St. Mary-le-Bow, etc.
*Kensington Palace
*Marlborough House
*Old Royal Naval College
*Royal Hospital
- The Banking House
- Lincoln's Inn
- Cloth Fair
- The Museum of London
- The British Museum
- The Victoria and Albert Museum
Charles II opened Hyde Park to the public and created Richmond Park for hunting.
Civil war broke out in 1642 between supporters of the king and parliamentary forces, led by a Puritan called Oliver Cromwell. The king lost and was beheaded. Britain became a republic known as the Commonwealth. In 1660 the monarchy was returned. Oliver Cromwell forbid theatre and dance, so the monarchy was very welcome.
London suffered two disasters in later Stuart years. In 1665 the Great Plague killed about 70.000 people. The bubonic plague was brought to London by rats on board of trading ships. It spread very quickly because people lived very close quarters and hygiene standards were very low.
In 1666 the Great Fire of London destroyed two thirds of the City: 13.200 houses, 430 streets and 89 churches. The fire could be seen from 40 miles round the capital. It started as a small fire accidentally in Pudding Lane in the City of London, and raged for five days as an enormous fire.
To prevent such a disaster happening again, King Charles II commanded that all new houses in London should be of stone and brick, not wood.
Christopher Wren constructed St. Paul's Cathedral as well as many churches. Buckingham was built for the Duke of Buckingham.
Monuments, sites and remains from the time:
- Wren's achitecture:
*Saint Paul's Cathedral
*The Monument (the Great Fire Memmorial)
*Wren's churches: Christ Church's tower, St. Andrew (Holborn), St. Bride's, St.Mary-at-Hill, St. Mary-le-Bow, etc.
*Kensington Palace
*Marlborough House
*Old Royal Naval College
*Royal Hospital
- The Banking House
- Lincoln's Inn
- Cloth Fair
- The Museum of London
- The British Museum
- The Victoria and Albert Museum
Tudor London
London grew in importance under the Tudor rule. It became the centre of trade and government. By the end of the Tudor era, there were about 200.000 people living in London.
The Tudors brought peace to the country and supported art and trade. They were very hard upon the social and religious dissidents. These were hanged, drowned or burned.
King Henry VIII created palaces as St. James. He is also famous for closing monasteries after the Roman Catholic Church refused to grant him a divorce. During the reign of Elisabeth I, London was wealthy and successfull. Theatre became popular, with Shakespeare and Marlowe. The most famous theatre is The Globe. It was burnt down in 1613, immediately rebuilt, but closed by the Puritans in 1642. In the 1990's a new Globe Theatre was built, as close to the original as possible.
The river Thames was very important in Tudor times as Britain's navy was expanded. Dockyards were built and ships were sent to explore the world.
Sites and remains:
- Middle Temple Hall
- Staple Inn
- Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey
- The Museum of London
- The Victoria and Albert Museum
- The Geffrye Museum
- The Hampton Court astronomical clock
The Tudors brought peace to the country and supported art and trade. They were very hard upon the social and religious dissidents. These were hanged, drowned or burned.
King Henry VIII created palaces as St. James. He is also famous for closing monasteries after the Roman Catholic Church refused to grant him a divorce. During the reign of Elisabeth I, London was wealthy and successfull. Theatre became popular, with Shakespeare and Marlowe. The most famous theatre is The Globe. It was burnt down in 1613, immediately rebuilt, but closed by the Puritans in 1642. In the 1990's a new Globe Theatre was built, as close to the original as possible.
The river Thames was very important in Tudor times as Britain's navy was expanded. Dockyards were built and ships were sent to explore the world.
Sites and remains:
- Middle Temple Hall
- Staple Inn
- Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey
- The Museum of London
- The Victoria and Albert Museum
- The Geffrye Museum
- The Hampton Court astronomical clock
Medieval London
Edward the Confessor built a wooden palace at Westminster. He also built Westminster Abbey.
The historical division between the commercial centre (The City) and the government (Westminster) started in the middle of the 11th century.
Plagues happened often and constantly, so the population was never higher than the 50.000 inhabitants from the Roman times. The Black Death ((1348) killed half the population of London.
The first made-of-stone London Bridge was built in 1209 and lasted 600 years. It was the only bridge over the Thames until 1750, when Westmister Bridge was built.
Little survived the Great Fire of 1666, but you can find sites and remains from this time in:
- The Tower of London
- Westminster Abbey
- The Museum of London
- Tate Britain
- National Gallery
- The Clink Prison Museum's rose window
The historical division between the commercial centre (The City) and the government (Westminster) started in the middle of the 11th century.
Plagues happened often and constantly, so the population was never higher than the 50.000 inhabitants from the Roman times. The Black Death ((1348) killed half the population of London.
The first made-of-stone London Bridge was built in 1209 and lasted 600 years. It was the only bridge over the Thames until 1750, when Westmister Bridge was built.
Little survived the Great Fire of 1666, but you can find sites and remains from this time in:
- The Tower of London
- Westminster Abbey
- The Museum of London
- Tate Britain
- National Gallery
- The Clink Prison Museum's rose window
Saxon and Viking London
Later in the 5th century, Anglo-Saxons settled just west of Londinium. It consisted of many wooden huts with thatched roofs.
In 842 Danish Vickings looted London and a few years later they returned to burn a large part of the town. In 1016 they tried to do it again, but they were fought off by the Saxons.
London Bridge is falling down,
falling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.
This nursery rhyme probably records an attack against London by the Vicking Olaf of Norway at the beginning of the 11th century. He was unable to sail up the Thames past London Bridge, which was made of wood at the time. Olaf and his men tied ropes to it, but when they rowed away, London Bridge collapsed.
Christianity grew stronger in Anglo-Saxon Britain. In 604 AD a cathedral was founded in London and named after the apostle, Saint Paul. There is still a cathedral on the site.
In 1042 Edward the Confessor became king of both the Vickings and Saxons.
You can find information and remains of the time at:
- The Museum of London
- The British Museum
Can you upload a picture of a thatched-roof cottage nowadays? Can you find a listening or a video with the nursery rhyme?
In 842 Danish Vickings looted London and a few years later they returned to burn a large part of the town. In 1016 they tried to do it again, but they were fought off by the Saxons.
London Bridge is falling down,
falling down, falling down,
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.
This nursery rhyme probably records an attack against London by the Vicking Olaf of Norway at the beginning of the 11th century. He was unable to sail up the Thames past London Bridge, which was made of wood at the time. Olaf and his men tied ropes to it, but when they rowed away, London Bridge collapsed.
Christianity grew stronger in Anglo-Saxon Britain. In 604 AD a cathedral was founded in London and named after the apostle, Saint Paul. There is still a cathedral on the site.
In 1042 Edward the Confessor became king of both the Vickings and Saxons.
You can find information and remains of the time at:
- The Museum of London
- The British Museum
Can you upload a picture of a thatched-roof cottage nowadays? Can you find a listening or a video with the nursery rhyme?
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Section 1 - Brief History of London. Roman London
Julius Caesar invaded England in 55 AD.He reached the Thames up to Southwark in London. On the other side of the river, there was a very small indigenous settlement. But it was with the second invasion in 43 AD that Londinium, as Romans called it, became the capital of Roman Britain. They decided to build a settlement on the north bank. They chose a spot in two small hills and where the river became narrower. They built a bridge over the Thames, and there has been a "London Bridge" in the same area ever since.
Some years later, a native tribe led by Queen Boudicca rose up against the Romans. They burnt Londinium to the ground and killed all its inhabitants. You can see a statue of Boudicca by Westminster Bridge in London.
The Romans regained control and rebuilt London, this time adding a Forum (market) and Basilica (a business centre), and slowly building a wall around the city to protect it. The Romans ruled in Britain until 410.
- The population of Roman London was between 12.00 and 20.000 inhabitants
- The River Thames was 300 metres wide (today it is 100m wide)
Obviously, the remains of the Romans in London can be found in The City and in Southwark (Two areas we will talk about in section 2).
Sites where you can find Roman remains:
- Museum of London
- British Museum
- All Hallows by the Tower Cript and Roman Road
- Amphitheatre under the Guildhall Art Gallery
- Foundations of the Mirtra Temple in Queen Victoria Street
Good luck.
Some years later, a native tribe led by Queen Boudicca rose up against the Romans. They burnt Londinium to the ground and killed all its inhabitants. You can see a statue of Boudicca by Westminster Bridge in London.
The Romans regained control and rebuilt London, this time adding a Forum (market) and Basilica (a business centre), and slowly building a wall around the city to protect it. The Romans ruled in Britain until 410.
- The population of Roman London was between 12.00 and 20.000 inhabitants
- The River Thames was 300 metres wide (today it is 100m wide)
Obviously, the remains of the Romans in London can be found in The City and in Southwark (Two areas we will talk about in section 2).
Sites where you can find Roman remains:
- Museum of London
- British Museum
- All Hallows by the Tower Cript and Roman Road
- Amphitheatre under the Guildhall Art Gallery
- Foundations of the Mirtra Temple in Queen Victoria Street
Good luck.
Sunday, 11 January 2009
Explanation about how we are going to work in this flog
Dear 1st batxillerat students,
Here you have a brief explanation of how we are going to start working in this blog.
ALL the students in 1st bat WILL participate. You can do it on your own, in pairs or in groups up to 4 people, always signing your names. Obviously, it must be in English. This information can be a text, a recorded conversation or speech, a video of yours or from You-tube for example, a link, etc. Use your imagination.
Here is a map of central London.
It is divided in areas to make it easier to work with and find your possible daily routes.
In the LondonCallingTrip blog, there will be several sections. Let me introduce the first two to you.
In section #1 we will learn "a little" about London's history. We will learn about:
1.- Roman London (Londinium)
2.- Saxon and Viking London
3.- Medieval London
4.- Tudor London
5.- Stuart London
6.- Victorian London
7.- Between Wars London
8.- Post-war London
I will mention sites you can see in London that belong to the different historical times. You will upload (basic-not too basic)information on them. Try not to talk about the same unless it is complementary or adds information.
In section 2, we will see each different area. Again, I will mention sites; you can choose which ones you would like to visit and upload information about them. Certainly, you can also add other sites you are interested in.
Lady Caterpillar will give you her information about what she wants her "Let's Talk" Students to do.
Ogroprofe
Here you have a brief explanation of how we are going to start working in this blog.
ALL the students in 1st bat WILL participate. You can do it on your own, in pairs or in groups up to 4 people, always signing your names. Obviously, it must be in English. This information can be a text, a recorded conversation or speech, a video of yours or from You-tube for example, a link, etc. Use your imagination.
Here is a map of central London.
It is divided in areas to make it easier to work with and find your possible daily routes.
In the LondonCallingTrip blog, there will be several sections. Let me introduce the first two to you.
In section #1 we will learn "a little" about London's history. We will learn about:
1.- Roman London (Londinium)
2.- Saxon and Viking London
3.- Medieval London
4.- Tudor London
5.- Stuart London
6.- Victorian London
7.- Between Wars London
8.- Post-war London
I will mention sites you can see in London that belong to the different historical times. You will upload (basic-not too basic)information on them. Try not to talk about the same unless it is complementary or adds information.
In section 2, we will see each different area. Again, I will mention sites; you can choose which ones you would like to visit and upload information about them. Certainly, you can also add other sites you are interested in.
Lady Caterpillar will give you her information about what she wants her "Let's Talk" Students to do.
Ogroprofe
Friday, 9 January 2009
Lovely London
Enjoy the streets of London with a very pleasant song. I'm sure you will see London only through rose-coloured spectacles!
Thursday, 8 January 2009
Listenings for conversations in London
Dear students of 1st batxillerat, and especially my Londoners -those who will travel to London after Easter Week-, here you will find 6 very useful listenings on typical short conversations you can have when in London. Try and practise.
Ogroprofe is preparing new activities and tasks about London to prepare the trip. You have been warned!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/multimedia/london/
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